Kalyn Ponga admits he's not big on giving advice, but found one of Billy Slater's lines best to deliver housemate and aspiring Newcastle Knights fullback Tex Hoy before a likely NRL debut later this month.
Newcastle's regular custodian Ponga, who will miss the next game because of suspension, now lives with touted replacement Hoy and passed on Slater's words from his maiden Origin outing for Queensland in 2018.
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Ponga and Hoy, roomies alongside fellow Knights player Connor Watson, have combined at training since the club returned from a forced coronavirus break last week and ahead of the scheduled competition restart on May 28.
"He [Hoy] will say 'what do you do out of yardage and what are you doing here' but when we go home he's not sitting right next to me in my ear," Ponga said after Tuesday's session.
"That's the good thing about our little group. Outside of footy and away from training we don't talk about it too much, but when we get to training it's all business.
"He's his own person and I think the best advice I got from one of the best Billy Slater was 'this is how I did it, but do it your way'. I guess it's the same with Tex. I'm not going to tell him to do it like this, just do it your way."
Ponga, who will only be sidelined for one match after taking an early guilty plea on a shoulder charge, also gave Hoy his tick of approval and it comes after Knights coach Adam O'Brien recently said the No.1 jersey was "his for the taking".
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"He [Hoy] has been knocking on the door this pre-season and last pre-season, the want to debut has been there," Ponga said.
"It's exciting and I'm excited to sit back and watch him. He's a pretty confident kid. The boys believe in him and we know he can do a job.
"There's still a lot of time, there's two or three weeks until then [next game] but he's definitely pushing his case."
Ponga, aged 22 with 51 NRL appearances, said rookie Hoy may even end up with goal-kicking duties in his absence. Kurt Mann and Tyrone Roberts-Davis were other options.
"We've got a few people that are practicing now," Ponga said.
"Kurty, Tex, Tyrone if he's called in, but I'm not too sure who is going to take that role."
An NRL draw has yet to be announced.
But regardless of Newcastle's next opponent after the COVID-19 hiatus, and already more than seven weeks since the men in red and blue defeated Wests Tigers 42-24 at Leichhardt Oval on March 22, Ponga will be forced to wait a bit longer to get back on the field.
"I'm taking my frustration out on the boys," Ponga joked.
"But it is what is, I got suspended.
"Across the board, even some of the boys who don't know if they're going to play this year in that [cancelled NSW] cup, everyone is working hard as a squad."
This type of collective attitude has given Ponga confidence that the undefeated Knights, who beat both the Tigers and Warriors (20-0) in the opening two rounds before the 2020 season was put on hold, can pick up where they left off.
"I think the boys have come back in good shape," he said.
"Now it's just really about building on what we were doing when we left. Our defence has to be the main focus."
Ponga said he was unfazed by any potential impact that returning to one referee, and possible set-of-six penalties for slowing down the ruck, could have on the game.
"I think the speed of the ruck really depends on players not the ref," he said.
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